April 28, 2014

Cauliflower and chickpea curry

Recipe from Good Housekeeping

Made this when ma and pa were here. Came out well. 

1 cauliflower
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or soak about a cup of chickpeas overnight and pressure cook the next day
2 handfuls spinach, chopped
2 tbsp mango chutney (I didn't use this)
large handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
almonds, toasted and sliced

Bring a large pan of water to a boil and cook the cauliflower florets for 5 mts or until tender. Drain well and keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the onion for 10 mts. until softened. Turn up the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown. Stir in the garlic, garam masala and cumin. Cook for a further 2 mts, then stir in the coconut milk, 200 ml water, salt, the chickpeas and cauliflower.
Heat until piping hot, then stir through the spinach, mango chutney and most of the coriander. Check the seasoning.
Garnish with remaining coriander and almonds.
Serve with rice, naan or crusty bread.

April 23, 2014

Corn chowder

1 onion chopped
1 pod garlic chopped
1 or 2 fresh corn on the cob - use a knife to cut corn from the cob
fresh fennel bulbs
1 tsp flour
2 potatoes, cubed
heavy cream, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper

heat oil and saute onions. Add fennel and garlic. Toss. Add flour. Toss. Add water slowly while stirring. Add potatoes and cook until just tender. Add corn and heavy cream. Bring to simmer. Add remaining ingredients, mix and turn off heat.

Theeyal

Grate 1/2 coconut
Fry 1 tbsp bengal gram dal, 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and 1 red chili.
Fry coconut separately till light brown.
Grind coconut and fried dals.
Add oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add 2 medium sized onions(chopped finely) and fry till soft. Add tamarind water and cook till raw smell goes. Add ground mixture and salt and let it boil for 5 minutes. Serve with hot rice.

Bissi bella bath

Rice 1 cup
toovar dal 1 cup
potato, 1 or 2
few beans
carrot, 1 or 2
cauliflower, a few flowerlets
peas, handful
turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
tamarind paste, 2 tsp
salt
ghee or butter, 2 tbsp

Roast and powder (using little oil) - coriander seeds, 2tbsp
channa dal, 1 tbsp
red chillies, 2-3
cinnamon, 1 stick
cloves, 2
dry coconut, 4 tbsp

Cook the rice and dal in the cooker. After it is cooked, add vegetables, 4  cups of water, salt and haldi and cover and cook till vegetables are done. Then add the masala powder, tamarind paste and stir well. Cover and cook for few more minutes. Add ghee and mix well. Serve hot.

Capsicum usili

3-4 capsicums, chopped finely
1/3 cup bengal gram dal or tuvar dal
1 red chili
hing
salt
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

First grind the dal coarsely with red chili and hing. Make a dough with little water. Steam it on a greased plate. Then powder it with hand.
Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and turmeric powder. Add capsicum. Once cooked, add the dal mixture, and stir.
Can be made with beans or cluster beans also.

Carrot and peanut raita

2 carrots
1/4 cup, roasted salted peanuts
1 small flake garlic, coarsely chopped
1 green chili, coarsely chopped
salt to taste
1 cup thick curd
1 tsp sugar
coriander leaves, to garnish

Peel and grate carrots. Crush peanuts coarsely with a rolling pin. Mix garlic, green chili and salt and crush to a pulp. Beat the curd until smooth and stir in the garlic mixture. Add carrots, peanuts, coriander leaves and mix well.